Rep. Caspian Forsyth introduces for himself, Mr. Garwood ® and Mr. Galt (F):

A bill to encourage construction of environmentally safe nuclear reactors in an effort to end American dependancy on foreign oil.

FINDINGS:
1. The United States must import over 50% of it's oil from foreign nations, including the nation of Saudi Arabia, which is listed as a human rights violator, and Venezuela and Iraq, nations currently in political turmoil.
2. Nuclear power plants would enable the foreign oil dependancy of the United States to be lessened.
3. The nuclear reactor design known as the "Pebble-Bed Reactor" is a safe design, physically incapable of meltdown, generates as much energy as a conventional nuclear reactor, creates much less radioactivity, is a much simpler design, requires no control rods, and creates waste much safer and easier to dispose of than conventional reactors.

SECTION I - SHORT TITLE:

This act may be titled "The Pebble-Bed Reactor Construction Research Act of 2004."

SETION II - GOVERNMENT RESEARCH COMMITTEE:

1. The Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall form a joint committee of nuclear experts in order to prepare a reccomendation on the viability of "pebble-bed reactors," including cost of construction, operation, and shutdown, the amount of waste generated and its radioactivity levels, and the safety of the design. This committee will also prepare a design suitible for power generation in the United States that is safe, reliable, and does not generate excessive amounts of waste or radioactivity, provided the findings of the commitee are that such reactors are viable.

2. Funds appropriate to carrying out the objectives of this committee shall be made available from the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, and shall total no more than $10,000,000.

3. The committee shall conclude its investigation within 12 months of the signing of this Act into law4. Members of the committee will serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for all necessary expenses occured during their service on the committee. These expenses shall include, but not be limited to, reimbursement for all travel and lodging to participate in meetings of the committee. Committee members will be required to submit receipts in order to qualify for reimbusement.

4. Members of the committee will serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for all necessary expenses occured during their service on the committee. These expenses shall include, but not be limited to, reimbursement for all travel and lodging to participate in meetings of the committee. Committee members will be required to submit receipts in order to qualify for reimbusement.

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